


once and always the fool

by UniversalSatan_dArchive



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Detectives, Happy Ending, Humor, I ACCIDENTALLY PUT IN A LIL BIT OF ANGST, Kissing, M/M, Romantic Tension, Slow Burn, also a lil bit of violence, oh and some swearing, some drinking, there is one (1) ghost, theres a hint of fluff, theres a murder investigation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 20:17:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15870996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UniversalSatan_dArchive/pseuds/UniversalSatan_dArchive
Summary: Ryan is supposed to be an investigator for fraud and cyber crimes.He never signed up for the consequences of dealing with an illegal organization.And he certainly did not sign up for that guy he vented to in a bar half-drunk to follow him through that already stressful investigation.





	once and always the fool

**Author's Note:**

  * For [emptyswimmingpools](https://archiveofourown.org/users/emptyswimmingpools/gifts).



> oof this carried on longer than i was expecting, i hope i've tailored this to your tastes, lee! i had to whip this up pretty quickly due to summer actually kicking my ass, so maybe it's a bit more _detectives_ than _mystery_ , but i hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless (i tried sprinkling in a bit of the other things you asked for too)! :D
> 
> also i just wanna give a quick thanks to my betas who were quick to volunteer and help!!  
> → [tumblr kaysno](https://kaysno.tumblr.com/) / [Kayssna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayssna/pseuds/Kayssna)  
> → [tumblr kittensmctavish](http://kittensmctavish.tumblr.com/)  
> → [tumblr familydisapointments-blog](https://familydisapointments-blog.tumblr.com/)

_Ryan Bergara was staring at a dead body._

_  
_

_Him._

_  
_

_Ryan Fucking Bergara._

_  
_

_Staring at a dead body._

_  
_

_Sure, it wasn’t his fault or anything. He’d been called to the scene, yet some part of his mind couldn’t help but call himself a sad excuse for a detective for blankly staring at the body like he’d never seen one before. Well, it wasn’t like he_ had _, but_ still _._

_So just how did a refined detective like Ryan Bergara find himself in a situation like this?_

_Well, it all began on a seemingly normal work day — Ryan would tell anyone this after ingesting just enough alcohol to let him spill confidential information, apparently oblivious to the fact that his cliched start would turn no heads._

_See, Ryan was perfectly happy where he was in his job. Seriously! Sure, working with fraud and cyber crimes weren’t perhaps the most enlightening of cases, but Ryan liked it well enough! It kept him immersed enough to want to go back to work each day (9-to-5 business days — he was not quite as lenient to give up his precious weekends). He had even gotten to work on slightly more serious cases, gaining himself somewhat of a reputation around his office._

_Which is why on that seemingly perfectly normal morning, when Ryan received an email for a scheduled meeting at noon with some higher-up government officials, he was expecting a promotion… or at the very least a raise._

_What he was not expecting, however, was to be offered a case in a department he had never even heard of._

_“Excuse me, Mister…” Ryan glanced down at both of the suited men sitting across from him, garnering no name from their presence. Hell, they were both wearing sunglasses… inside. In the dark. Ryan pursed his lips. “Mister government? Can you tell me exactly what a DSOP is?”_

_The entire meeting itself was incredibly intimidating. Both government officials sat with the most rigid posture Ryan had ever seen in a workplace, their expressions hidden  behind their glasses. Though this was all supposed to be just another work meeting, it felt more like an interrogation straight out of a movie. The entire room was dark with only the light of a lamp on the table between the three to illuminate their faces._

_“DSOP is the Department of Suspicious Organizations and Persons,” one of the officials explained. Even his voice sounded as bland as unflavoured oatmeal. “We are one of the most secretive departments the system currently has to offer, other than the DUFO at NASA-”_

_“Stop,” Ryan interrupted, holding his hand up. “Rewind, please? DUFO? If it’s what I think it means-”_

_“Please refrain from interrupting me as I speak,” the same official spoke sternly, completely ignoring Ryan’s question. He coughed. “As I was saying, DSOP is in charge of dealing with the most secretive and dangerous underground organizations internationally. Perhaps it would be easier for you to understand by knowing we deal with the likes of various mafias, gangs, and organizations such as the Illuminati and the Masons-”_

_“Wait, wait, wait… you can’t just drop information like that. The Illuminati?”_

_The official stared at him from behind his glasses, face fixed and emotionless. “This will be the last time I warn you about interrupting, Detective Bergara.”_

_“Sorry, sir. I do have one question, though.”_

_“You have permission to ask.”_

_“Why am I being told all of this?” Ryan leaned back in his chair, balancing himself unprofessionally on the back two legs. “I work with fraud and sometimes cyber crime. I’m not even a department head… why am I the one who’s being approached?”_

_The official that had been speaking nodded at the other to answer. Clearing their throat, they began to explain. “It is precisely_ because _you are not a department head that we decided to approach you. Your most recent case has proved more worthy to us than we expected, and we have come to realize that there is someone very capable in the department of investigation.”_

_Ryan wasn’t about to tell them that that case had mostly been based off of luck in simply sifting through data._

_“We are beginning to work on a case that needs a multi-talented investigator that is clever enough to find the criminal’s motives. Because you have already uprooted data from part of this organization, we thought that you would best know how to go about this case.”_

_Ryan absolutely did not._

_“Very little is known about the organization we are currently investigating, so we’d like to move you to the case and work from there. Until you consent, we cannot give any more details about the case.”_

_How much could Ryan really lose?_

_“You will have to devote yourself to secrecy on this subject matter for the rest of your life, as well as potentially place yourself in danger with various suspicious organizations. You will also have to report every move you make regarding the case; specialized software will be put on your phone for the department, allowing you access to various contacts and tools as well as minimal monitoring.”_

_Everything, apparently._

_“I’ll do it,” Ryan decided nevertheless, leaning forward with his forearms on the table. “When do I start?”_

_“Right now,” the first officer stated simply, procuring a folder full of documents seemingly out of nowhere. Ryan gaped at the package he was handed. “Please read over the briefing and what you can of the details. We will work with your personal devices temporarily to prepare you for the case.”_

_The rest of that ‘normal’ morning consisted of the two strange government officials tinkering with his phone and laptop as he sat at his desk and read through the documents he had been given. Thankfully, most of the software was explained in a few of the papers along with their uses, but Ryan also learned his work location was to change, as well as everything else. He could probably pull off working at home for a good portion of the time, but he had been given suspiciously detailed instructions on how to get to his new workplace. Thus, part of his morning included packing his belongings to bring home._

_Interestingly enough, the case itself comprised mostly of the data Ryan had collected. Though he only managed to find some sketchy trade deals and sales fraud and even some evidence of identity theft, with the IP address he had managed to procure, apparently the DSOP had become suspicious and prodded further into the case. They had only come up with dead ends, but the short story was they suspected that Ryan had somehow stumbled across another secret criminal organization._

_Ryan’s job was to investigate the presence and motive of this organization._

_What he was not expecting to get out of everything was a strange text he received from the weird software that had been downloaded onto his phone. It was from whoever his superior for the case was, and only contained one coordinate point._

_Sighing, Ryan stopped his car in his driveway, immediately reversing and setting his GPS to the coordinate point he had been given._

_He found himself at a riverbank. There was a dead body by the riverbank._

_Just Ryan, two police officers, and a dead body._

_By a river bank._

_That’s how he was spending his completely and utterly normal afternoon._

_Though he was no forensic pathologist, he decided that he wouldn’t get anywhere unless he inferred at least a few things. Just being at a physical scene had him out of his depth.  Ryan scrunched up his face as he tried to will everything he learned while studying to be an investigator to come back to him._

_The most obvious thing he noticed was the tire tracks that lined the bank, traced deep enough into the sand and gravel. The tracks went all the way up to the bank and reversed all the way back up to the empty parking lot where Ryan had parked._

_The body itself was half-floating in the water. It was possible they had drowned, but the water was so shallow that it wouldn’t have come up to Ryan’s knees. Though the victim was only wearing a t-shirt, the waterlogged fabric floated back and forth, revealing the bruising bloomed across the victim’s chest._

_  
_

“And that’s why I think whoever the murderer was ran into them and then left them to drown as they passed out!” Ryan shouted louder than he needed to, ignoring the prying stares around him. Indignantly, he finished the last of his rum and coke before waving for the bartender again. “Can I get a whiskey on the rocks? I think I’m going to need something stronger if I have to think about work any longer.”

“But how could you possibly infer that the victim had died by those means?” The man that had become the victim to Ryan’s endless ranting had twisted on his barstool to face the investigator, one eyebrow raised amusedly.

He had a reasonably handsome face, outlined clearly in the dim light and with his hair neatly slicked back. Ryan had originally targeted him because he had been one of the only other loners in that (Ryan realized in hindsight) reasonably sketchy bar, up until recently peacefully caught up in his thoughts with a bourbon (or whatever it was — Ryan’s memory had already failed him).

“Ah, ah, ah… but here’s the thing,” Ryan smirked, waving a pointer finger at the friendly stranger. “If the impact was forceful enough where the momentum had been perfectly created with a good balance of velocity and mass of the car, then the victim would sustain sufficient damage.”

“Don’t you start speaking physics to me.”

“I’ll do what I fucking want. Anyhow, as I was saying…” Ryan paused, actually having to recollect his thoughts as he nodded a thanks to the bartender, who had given him his new drink. “Oh, right. I remember.

“See… there’s a few things that we have to put into consideration. First of all, with the transfer of momentum regardless of lost energy or friction, the victim should have been airborne for quite a bit longer. However, I did notice that the car tracks stopped further from the riverbank, and the tracks weren’t too deep closest to the river, which means the velocity couldn’t have been too high, but the victim was still sent flying.”

“I love the imagery you’re giving here.”

“Shut the fuck up and let me finish. But because of that, it means that the mass of the car has to be larger in magnitude so the velocity isn’t as much.”

“I feel like you’re forgetting about-”

“I said shut _up_ , daddy long legs.”

“I love it when you call me that.”

“We literally _just_ met. Anyway, _as I was saying_ ,” Ryan gave him a pointed look The other man blinked at him innocently. “Another reason why I believe it has to be a bigger car is because there was proof of bruising higher up on the chest of the victim. The car would have to be tall enough to mow them down and nick a few ribs. Well… that, and the victim would have had to be crouching or sitting or something. Waiting, I guess.”

“Ooh, punctured lungs. Gotta love those.”

“Precisely! And with enough pain present, the victim could pass out and be able to drown themselves in the shallow water.”

“Do you always sound so smart when you’re drunk? It’s kinda hot.”

“You’re such a pain in the ass,” Ryan groaned.

The man smirked. “But I’ll be your pain in the ass.”

Ryan glared at him but refused to answer.

The man continued. “So a big car, huh? I’m sure that’s going to be so much help to the case.”

“See, the thing is—” Ryan coughed momentarily, choking on spit. His acquaintance watched on boredly. Ryan’s voice was gruff and the whiskey didn’t really help, but he ignored the tears that had been brought to his eyes. “The thing is… we got photographic evidence of the lot before.”

“Photographic evidence?”

“The person who reported the dead body was essentially almost a witness,” Ryan explained. “They gave us some information on who was parked by the riverbank before, and thanks to a nearby security camera, we have some shots of the cars that were parked there.”

“And?”

“ _And_ ,” Ryan smirked, pulling out his phone to find a photo. “The only large vehicle pictured is an orange Mercedes-Benz SUV.”

The man wrinkled his nose. “That sure is an ugly colour though, I must say.”

“You think so?” Ryan pulled his phone back to his face, inspecting the screen way too closely. The alcohol was probably starting to get to him.

“Okay, so maybe you do have evidence on the car…” the man hummed, swirling his drink so the ice clinked against the glass. “Why were _you_ assigned it? How does it relate to the case?”

“That witness… I don’t know how I always deal with luck, but they happen to be an amateur photographer.”

“They’re really such a rarity these days. By the riverbank too.”

Ryan gave him another dirty look before having a sip of his drink. “You know what I mean… but they also managed to catch a photo of the victim speaking with someone. One or two.” Ryan was staring down at his photos again, trying to figure out what their motive was despite them being trapped within that point in time inside the image itself. “The witness had informed us that it looked like they had made a deal of some sort. Some exchange, some negotiations, not too many pleasantries. Perhaps the deal had gone sour. When the photographer came back from their walk to the scene, the victim was already dead.”

“So in a nutshell, your department decided it could be labelled as a sketchy case and threw their new pup a bone?”

“I don’t even know if they really do have a specific case they want me to work on,” he grumbled.

Despite everything, the other man still seemed conflicted. “Can you show me the images of the cars again?”

“Sure thing.”

Ryan tentatively handed his phone to the stranger. The man stared at the screen for a long while, brow furrowed in concentration.

Locking Ryan’s phone and slowly handing it back to him, his eyes flickered back up to Ryan’s face, an odd expression dancing across his features.

 

“I believe I may have a tip for your investigation.”

 

* * *

 

Two glasses of water and a near death experience (that involved the strange man giving a possible serial killer a death glare as they approached Ryan) later, Ryan finally found himself in the man’s car on the way to whatever tip he had for him.

Ryan was utterly _exhausted_ . His lack of barriers was probably the only reason why warning bells weren’t pealing shrilly in his head, warning him that getting into a suspicious man’s BMW was _probably not_ the smartest idea.

At least it smelled nice.

“Could you stop your weird happy muttering?” The man spoke up again. His finger was tapping impatiently against the steering wheel as he glared at the road in front of him. “I hope you’re not drooling.”

“I don’t drool.”

“Are you sure you’re not too drunk for this?”

Ryan sighed, burrowing himself into his jacket. The air conditioning that was on was just on the brink of being uncomfortable.

“I never caught your name earlier,” Ryan mumbled, staring out his window. The city was painted with rich oranges, oddly bright as the sun set. The artificial light of street lamps illuminated the route the man was taking.

“What?”

“I _said…_ what’s your name?” He took the chance to glance over at his companion.

The man didn’t answer for a while. Maybe he was absently staring at the long stretch of road; maybe he was listening to the buzz of the piano solo on the jazz radio.

Maybe he was just thinking of what to say.

“The name’s Shane,” he finally spoke up. He still didn’t spare Ryan a glance. “Shane Madej.”

“ _Hmm?_ ” Ryan let the new information wash around his head lazily. Perhaps the alcohol had made him a bit more sluggish than usual, but he hoped he wouldn’t be so far gone as to forget the man’s name. “Madej. Ma…. dej…. That’s a pretty fun name. Shane’s pretty boring though.”

“You could always take Madej if you like it so much.”

Ryan scoffed. “Don’t say weird things like that. Like I’d steal a name from someone I just met.”

“I’d say Bergara isn’t too bad either, though.”

“Hey! Since when did you know my full name?”

“Since you told me your entire life story...” Shane glanced at his wristwatch, “...twenty minutes ago.”

“Whatever, smarty pants,” Ryan grumbled. “But seriously… where are we? Are you taking me out here to murder me?”

“You wish,” Shane laughed. “But no. I just think I know where the car you’re looking for is.”

Perking up at Shane’s comment, Ryan stayed more attentive to his surroundings. They had now changed to a gravel road that was within a larger inner-city park. There wasn’t much to the gravel road, and it was narrow enough to be almost suffocated by trees and shrubs. Dark shadows were cast in every direction.

The vehicle finally began to slow down as the reached a slightly more open area with room for a few parking spots. Typically, during a good day, the area would be packed with picnickers and hikers.

Now, however, only one vehicle sat parked to the side as if trying to be hidden by overgrowth.

“Thought I recognized that ugly colour somewhere,” Shane smirked, turning his own BMW off. He began to move to exit, so Ryan did the same.

“You come here a lot?”

Shane shrugged. “I have a lot of family that likes doing outdoors-y kinds of things.”

“Sounds about right. You just _look_ like a hiker.”

“What is a hiker _supposed_ to look like?”

“You, dumbass. I literally _just_ said that.”

It was slightly unnerving walking up to the orange SUV, knowing that it very well may have murdered someone. Standing in front of it was a bit much, so Ryan shuddered and stepped to the side to inspect it safely instead.

Whipping out his phone, Ryan tried comparing the grooves of the tires with the tracks he had found by the riverbank. They matched well enough, which was a go in Ryan’s book. Plus the fact the car’s model matched with the grainy image from the security camera.

“We still can’t be sure that it was this car,” Ryan mused, trying to see if there was anything stuck in the tires. “Who knows how many versions of this exact car exist in the greater city area?”

“I’m pretty sure the blood remains on the front are pretty telling though.”

Ryan stood up so suddenly that he almost fell over.

First, there were still blood splatters and dents on the front of the car. Not too much considering the type of damage dealt, but enough to be used as proof.

And second, there was whatever dumb bullshit Shane was pulling now.

“What the fuck is in your mouth?” Ryan whined, exasperated.

“Chocolate cigar,” Shane answered casually around his treat. “Want one?”

“First of all, why the _fuck-?”_

“Would you rather I vaped?”

“Okay, I changed my mind. That would be so much more horrible.”

“I’d also rather keep this habit,” he admitted, gnawing on the abomination. “But aside from me, _as much as I love talking about myself—”_

“Please move on.”

“Aye aye, captain. But now that we’re pretty sure this is the weapon of choice, what’s your next course of action?”

Ryan didn’t actually know. He didn’t think this far ahead yet.

“Uh… I think I’m… I’m going to come back here tomorrow. Just… park here and wait for someone to come for the car.”

“Why not tonight?”

“I’m tired. I need sleep.”

“What if they come for their car now?”

“You said the car is always here.”

“What if they _don’t_ come back for the car?”

Ryan narrowed his eyes, too tired to keep on fighting. “Most of this investigation so far has been based purely on luck, and I hope to continue keeping that streak.”

“So professional.”

“I can’t even take you seriously with that dumb thing in your mouth. And anyway, I’ll probably want the extra sleep if I have to worry about this case for too long.” With that, Ryan stood up and made his way back to Shane’s BMW, not willing to argue any longer.

Just before Ryan managed to open the passenger-side door, however, Shane raised his voice, making himself heard behind Ryan.

“Isn’t this all going to have to do with the mafia or some sketchy organization or whatever you were ranting on about earlier? Only a fool would allow themselves to stumble into the devil’s playground. What’s in it for you?”

What _was_ Ryan to gain from the case? He wasn’t even completely sure himself. Fame? A raise? Surely he was going to fear for his life for years in the future... what was the point of it all?

Because he had been handed the task.

Ryan glanced over his shoulder, hand ghosting over the car door handle. Shane was standing in front of the orange SUV, a ghostly figure with both hands in his pockets, illuminated by a far-away lamp post.

“Perhaps the only way to tread water is to play the fool. I was living in the moment, and I didn’t see much reason to refuse the offer. Maybe I’m an idiot for accepting, but now that I’ve been specially assigned, I’m going to do the best damn job I can do.”

And with that, Ryan jerked open the car door and hopped inside.

Or he would have liked to.

Instead, he was very uncool-y tugging at the door handle, having not noticed Shane locking the car earlier.

Shane was busy losing his goddamn mind.  


On the way back to Ryan’s house, both were silent. Ryan was busy trying to report his findings, send a coordinate point to his superior, and inform them of his plans for the next day.

Once he was tired of getting down to business, Ryan ended up playing around with some of the fancy software that had been put on his phone. When Shane asked him what he was actually doing, Ryan very seriously informed him that he was playing Maze Runner, and to stop interrupting him before he died. Shane would then continue to say that there was no point in hiding what he was doing since Ryan had opened up about his entire confidential case to Shane earlier anyhow. Ryan then pointedly ignored him for the rest of the trip.

Once Ryan finally got back to his own home and collapsed onto his own bed, he thanked his lucky stars that Shane Madej wasn’t actually a serial killer in some handsome disguise.

 

* * *

 

Twelve hours later on the dot, Ryan found himself in his own car, staring at the orange SUV that was only a few cars over.

To his utter irritation, Shane was also beside him, reclined as far back as the passenger seat could go and taking a nap.

“I swear to fucking god, why are you here?” Ryan protested in vain. He had also pushed his seat as far back as he could go, working from his laptop resting on his thighs. “You’re not part of this investigation.”

“I am now.” His smug voice was muffled slightly by an open book that was covering his face. “I’m sure I would be a great asset to the case.”

Ryan groaned. “I met you last night in a bar, kind of tipsy, and only asked for the tip you had.”

“Aren’t I your friend?” Shane laughed. “And _kind of_ tipsy? I’d hate to see you when you get drunk.”

“I don’t know why I even let you into my car. I regret it now, of course.”

“So mean, Inspector Bergara. Even when I brought us some lunch.”

Well, Shane was right on that point. Ryan’s brain had been so frazzled by the events the day before that he simply rushed to the park again, forgetting about basic needs. He was almost relieved — dare he say _thankful_ — when he saw Shane tapping on his car window, two coffees and a humongous paper bag in his arms. Not only was there plenty for a breakfast for two, but there was even other meal items for a lunch.

And considering the thicker book he had brought, Shane had also realized that waiting was no walk in the park.

“Thanks man, for that… for the meals, I mean. But why do you have to nap here? Can’t you do that in the park? Where there’s sun and grass?”

“Waiting involves patience, my dear friend. Plus, my job is pretty exhausting.”

“So you do work, huh?”

“It’s a flexible schedule.”

“Uh huh.”

Stretching (as much as he could with gangly limbs and a jean jacket), Shane yawned loudly, making somewhat of an attempt to sit up. Rummaging around the inside of his jacket, he procured a chocolate cigar and stuck it in his mouth after unwrapping it.

“I still don’t understand why you need sunglasses in here while taking a nap,” Ryan mused, saving his work. “Or a beanie, for that matter. And no smoking in my car.”

“Have you ever heard of a disguise before?” Shane asked, completely ignoring Ryan’s teasing.

“What do you think my cap is for?”

“It makes you look like some sort of sun-repulsed dad, if anything.”

“Shut up, Shane. At least I don’t look like another hiking, whole-grain hipster.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

Sighing, Ryan went back to his work. He was much better at investigating through his devices, as that had previously been his area of expertise. Though it was a bit difficult to find any information on the organization with just the car as evidence along with whatever fraud proof Ryan had discovered previously.

What he did end up doing was look through official documents recording the life of the murder victim, trying to see how they would tie into the case, or perhaps find anything on the deal they had supposedly made just before their death. They themselves seemed to lead a relatively normal life, but there were nuances here and there that Ryan thought it best to look into regardless.

Ryan was just about to dig a bit deeper into the illegal organizations in the general area when Shane decided to speak up again.

“I think I’m going to have my lunch now. It’s already noon and I don’t think my pasta salad will wait any longer.”

“I’m sorry, but your _what_?”

“My pasta salad,” Shane informed him, rustling around the paper bag for a fork. “Want some?”

“Um? No thanks?”

“Good, because I wasn’t going to give you any.”

“Dick.”

“Hey, I thought you didn’t want any. Plus, I got you a panini… I had a feeling you might like that better. You don’t really seem like a pasta salad kind of guy.”

“Alright, you’ve filled my bullshit quota for the morning,” Ryan proclaimed, shutting his laptop and reaching for his bag to put it away. “I’m gonna go for a piss… please try and make sure the ugly car owner doesn’t escape on us.”

“Aye aye, captain.” Shane saluted him lazily and Ryan rolled his eyes.

It was nice to stretch one’s legs after sitting down for so long. Though he did work mainly on computer, Ryan was still an active guy and became restless easily. Shane probably wouldn’t mind being left to his own devices for long, so a short jog around the direct vicinity probably wouldn’t have too much harm. Ryan was thankful that he decided to wear a hoodie and joggers despite the warmer weather, at least making him look the part.

Because of the nicer weather, the park was relatively full. There were even a few barbeques going on. Kids were screaming and tossing frisbees, and Ryan swore to Shane after that he almost tripped over a dog at least twice.

On his way back to his car, Ryan idly watched a businessman in a fitted suit (why the hell he was here of all places was a mystery to Ryan) step into the shadows, appearing to take some sort of private call. Ryan wasn’t interested whatsoever in whatever business they were attending to, until he caught the tail end of something the businessman was saying.

_“—It’s as I’ve said! They’ve already been taken care of. Yes, I’m positive there was no evidence left behind. The disposal was clean.”_

Ryan’s breath caught in his chest. Back against a stranger’s car, he slid down to a crouch, hoping that he wouldn’t be found eavesdropping so close to the potential culprit. The businessman’s voice was quiet but stern, and Ryan had to remain completely still to be able to catch the gist of what he was saying.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he concentrated on the man’s voice.

 _“Look here, mister. I’m not here to play your games. You either meet me tomorrow under Shepherd's Bridge or you don’t. Don’t screw this up for yourself. I may not be a superior, but just know I have influence. Just remember… 20:30 on the dot or you’ll suffer the consequences. Uh huh. Good day, sir.”_ The man moved, rustling his jacket as he had probably ended the call. “ _Fucker_ ,” he added for good measure under his breath.

The man was already leaving, and with one peek, Ryan saw that he was heading directly for the orange SUV. Spurring into action, he tried his best to creep around the other cars, not gaining the attention of the fugitive. They were already starting their car by the time Ryan slid into his own.

“That was quite the long piss—” Shane smirked, stopping when he realized the severity of Ryan’s expression and actions.

“Hey, pull the seat all the way up. Can you do me a favour?”

“Depends on what it is.”

“Remember tomorrow, 8:30 pm, and Shepherd’s Bridge.” Ryan barely had time to throw his seatbelt on as he turned his keys, stating his engine.

“Shepherd’s Bridge, huh,” Shane mused, absently staring out the window. “Oh, so the owner of the vehicle _did_ return?”

“Just keep an eye on them for me, okay?” Ryan instructed, shoulder checking as he backed out of their spot. “Fuck, I just really don’t want to lose them.”

“I believe in you.”

And so the hectic chase began. Or at least it was in Ryan’s head.

It was difficult following them. First of all, Ryan still had the law to respect, as being stopped would cost more than just a ticket to him. Second of all, it was hard as hell to try and follow someone without getting them to notice.

So once the orange SUV turned into an older, rundown neighbourhood and Ryan met eyes with the businessman through his rearview mirror, Ryan was certain they were found out.

Luckily, due to the neighbourhood, it was slightly easier for the chase to continue. The SUV took odd and sharp turns, weaving up and down roads as they continued to become lost in the winding maze of old homes. It almost all seemed to go on forever.

Shane was almost too calm during the entire fiasco. He’d make the occasional comment here and there, but he sat back all the while, watching on in amusement.

“Wait… fuck! Where the fuck did they go?” Ryan shouted out in panic, stopping and reversing the car.

“I think it parked there.” Shane pointed at a shabby house they had already passed. It was one of the larger houses that looked abandoned, and there was an empty lot beside it. Just underneath a large oak tree, the SUV was haphazardly parked on the dirt. Ryan parked by the house as quickly as he could and stumbled out.

Though he could hear Shane’s giant footsteps behind him, Ryan sprinted to the still swinging screen door on the front porch, following only the sound of footsteps ahead of him.

Smirking, Ryan nimbly dodged rotting furniture. Ryan regularly played basketball and was wearing running clothes — he was barely breaking a sweat. He offhandedly wondered how the businessman was faring in his fitted suit.

Almost crashing into the backdoor, Ryan shoved it open again, struggling with the handle. He cursed under his breath, hanging onto the fact that the businessman couldn’t get far.

“No, no, no, no—fuck! _Shit_!” Ryan slammed his fist against the doorframe, probably earning himself a few splinters in the process. Vaulting himself over the porch railing and scampering around the house, he made it just in time to hear the SUV starting up already, driving off before Ryan could run out of the shadows.

“He got away,” Shane stated, finally catching up. “Damn, you have some fast legs.”

“ _Fucking hell._ ” Clenching his fists, Ryan took a deep breath in and out in an effort to calm himself.

“Hey, hey, _Ryan_.” A hand found its way on Ryan’s back, tentatively at first but then reassuring. “Don’t panic yet.”

“I’m _not_ panicking.”

“Okay, whatever you say. But seriously… why don’t you eat your lunch first, and then you can take a look at the house. They obviously know the house well enough to lure you here and escape effectively, right?”

Ryan exhaled. “Fine. You’re right. I’ll just… yeah, we can get some evidence out of this.”

Though he was impatient to get a move on, he allowed himself time to eat and make note of the progress he did make that day. He also (begrudgingly) let Shane attend to his hand, cursing and blaming him every time his hand stung from the splinters.

Bandaged and refreshed, Ryan set off without another word back into the house. A knife and a flashlight were well-concealed in his jacket, and he made sure his phone battery was still at a decent percentage.

“I can take upstairs, and I’ll leave the main floor to you,” Shane called out to him, tapping him on the shoulder.

“Fine, okay.”

“Hey, Ryan? Stop. Can you look at me?”

Ryan hesitated. His steps slowed, but he was even slower to turn around. Shane was staring at him with some sort of unreadable expression on his face, toying with his bottom lip between his teeth. Ryan’s gaze flickered back up to his companion’s eyes.

“Are you sure this is going to be all right?”

“What do you mean?” Ryan laughed. Adrenaline still lingered in his veins, so perhaps he hadn’t truly grasped the severity of the situation.

“I mean…” Shane was hesitating. “They obviously got at least a glimpse of your face. You were chasing a murderer. Not only a murderer, but a figure of an organization so underground that your strange department had never heard of it before. And you were chasing them. Do you realize just what kind thing you’ve thrown yourself into?”

“Of course not. And, what… like you care so much?”

Shane almost looked hurt. Not quite, but he was definitely biting back a retort.

Shaking his head, he stepped forward to enter the house again first. “At least try and find some value in your life.”

“I don’t have a death wish,” Ryan quipped. “Well… maybe I do with this case, but I value my quality of life…”

The two only bickered momentarily until Shane reached the stairs, warily climbing up to the second landing. Hearing the wood creak at every footfall upstairs was somewhat soothing, and Ryan let his thoughts on the case wander a bit as he searched the main floor.

Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. Sure, it was a bit odd that the house was falling apart and growing filthy with the lack of use, but it had its own little charm to it. At least in the middle of the day. At this point, the height of Ryan’s worries only involved rats and black widow spiders (which was still something to be stressed about).

Though dust was obviously disturbed in a few more areas (indicating that Ryan was perhaps not the only person to roam the main floor in the past few days), nothing much was out of place. There wasn’t anything suspicious.

Ryan stared at the large tapestry that was hung in the living room beside the fireplace. It was old as balls, with each thread becoming faded and loose. The image itself depicted some large tree on a riverbank with animals crowding the base.

Intrigued, Ryan poked the tapestry, feeling the grooves underneath his fingertip. When he pulled his hand away, the tapestry fell back into place.

He poked the tapestry again.

The tapestry fluttered heavily as it moved back to its original position.

_There was a missing wall behind the tapestry._

Almost immediately, Ryan went around to the side, pulling the hanging tapestry away from the wall just enough to peek down. Sure enough, a concealed doorway was revealed. Pumping his arm once in victory, Ryan shimmied under the tapestry to get to it.

The door pushed open easily, giving way to another wall that was undoubtedly another concealing tapestry. Grinning, Ryan pushed it forward, exiting on the left side.

Ryan had thought he had been treading with careful footing, but as soon as he stumbled into the dark room, something cracked underneath him, and he was falling through the wooden floor.

The last thing he heard was Shane’s worried voice somewhere above him calling his name before he passed out.  
  


 

The first time he woke regained consciousness, Ryan had no idea where he was. Everything was still so dark, and his entire body ached. His head throbbed the worst of all.

He let himself drift in and out of consciousness before unconsciousness finally overtook him again.

  
  


By the time Ryan was able to lay where he was, staring blankly out in front of him without everything fading to black, his eyes had adjusted significantly to the darkness. It wasn’t quite enough to see clearly, but at least he had a better idea of his surroundings.

Debris was scattered all around his body, and the area wasn’t light enough for him to be able to determine where he had fallen through from. Either way, the smell of rotting wood and drywall was prominent, and he had grown cold from lying on the cement basement floor for so long. With too much effort, Ryan tried his best to sit up properly.

Finally having the chance to asses himself he tried his best to remember his situation.

The pressing on his head, the occasional wave of nausea, and his passing out were pretty clear indicators to him that he’d gotten a concussion on his way down, and truth be told, Ryan was honestly glad that he didn’t have anything worse. That, and the pain present in what was probably a sprained wrist.

Patting down his hoodie, Ryan realized with horror that his phone was gone. In reality, it had probably slipped out of his pocket during his fall, but he immediately felt as if his chances of survival had dropped.

Wallowing in despair, Ryan laid back down on the filthy ground.

 _God, I’m so fucking thirsty,_ he thought to himself.

  
  


Time didn’t seem real anymore, but it was probably after a good half hour of searching that Ryan found his phone again.

He felt a bit desperate in the way he checked it so quickly, and was utterly relieved to see that the only damage it had taken was a large crack across the screen. Still usable.

The time on the way-too-bright screen told him that it was already evening, and Ryan almost had to wonder how he hadn’t been found yet. Perhaps the tapestry was not as easy to see through as he had previously thought. He was also thankful that no one from the secret organization had found him either. In that case, he probably would have been equally as dead, but there was just a sliver of a chance of escaping that basement the way he was now compared to being captured.

Even the battery was doing pretty well. The phone was newer, so the battery lasted longer, but the charging case he had also seemed to be of help to the situation at hand.

As in every case, there had to be at least one downfall, and that was the lack of service where he was. There wasn’t even a _bar_ left to give him hope.

Sighing, Ryan turned on the flashlight to get a better look at his surroundings.

The large, demonic face sprawled across the wall in front of him almost made him pass out again — this time in fear.

Ryan turned off the flashlight.

He wasn’t quite sure whether he preferred the light being on or staying off.

  
  


Once Ryan finally got ahold of himself, he stared at the face for a very long time. Stamped in the middle of the face was the word ONI in black letters. Ryan then concluded that that was probably what the secret organization was called.

Getting up at last, he stretched to at least lessen his soreness. Using his phone flashlight as some form of defence, Ryan inspected the secret area he had accidentally stumbled across.

The area wasn’t very big. It held a lot of strange books and papers, along with the desk directly underneath the ONI mural. Just a glance at some of the sketchy documents clearly indicated that the organization was indeed called ONI.

Along with various fraud documents and lists, Ryan spotted a few _missing person_ posters scattered on the desk surface. All of them were ones Ryan had recognized, having been posted around his office for months. According to all the post-it notes and scribbles scattered around them, they were obviously connected with the organization. How they had remained under the radar and kept each case unsolved was beyond Ryan.

By the time Ryan sat down again, his phone was full of photographic evidence.

  
  


Ryan wasn’t quite sure if his concussion was making him hallucinate when he heard movement around him. The irregularity and occasional strange tapping made it impossible for it to have been someone who was about to find him.

His heart jumped up to his throat.

The light was _off_ . His phone flashlight was _off_.

So why on earth could he see the ghostly image of a person fade into reality, pacing around in agitation?

Ryan couldn’t even move. He was absolutely frozen with fear.

The figure stopped suddenly and turned its empty face towards Ryan. That was the best way he could describe it. _Empty_.

Almost as if it had not noticed him, the ghostly figure turned around, walking (floating?) directly into some wood paneling.

That was the last Ryan saw of _it_.

  
  


Curiosity ended up getting the best of Ryan.

Which was probably the only reason he got up to inspect the wall the figure had disappeared through.

He almost collapsed in relief when he discovered the wood panelling could be pried open to reveal a hidden stairwell.

Ryan had found a way out of the hellish nightmare he had fallen into.

  


The moment he found himself back on the main landing and through the old tapestry, Ryan could hear the familiar tone of Shane’s voice. Before he fully realized it, his feet had taken off underneath him, sprinting out of the old house.

Shane didn’t notice him right away, but he stood and gaped, letting himself almost be tackled by his newfound friend.

“Fuck, Ryan,” he murmured, letting Ryan burrow himself further into his hold. “I got really fucking worried about your little ass.”

“You’re not supposed to worry,” Ryan responded, muffled by Shane’s jacket.

“Didja miss me?”

“Yeah right, big guy.”

It was calming how alright everything felt. Shane was strong and his arms were warm, as was his laughter. Ryan squeezed his torso tighter for a moment before letting go.

“So you got backup? How did you not find me?”

Shane gestured over to another car that had been parked by Ryan’s. “I called a few numbers and somehow managed to get ahold of your department. It’s only a doctor and a colleague of yours that showed up, but we were still struggling to find where you had disappeared to.”

“There’s a secret passageway to a basement behind the tapestry in the living room. I fell through the floor there, but I guess it makes sense that I would’ve been hard to find.”

“That’s so cliche,” Shane scoffed, patting him on the shoulder. Ryan winced. He was still relatively sore from his fall — there were probably enough bruises present to last him a good few weeks.

“We’ll investigate the entire plot as soon as we can,” Ryan’s colleague piped up, glancing up from his phone. The colleague wasn’t one Ryan recognized, but he had only been working in the DSOP for a whopping two days, so that was to be expected.

“Do you have any serious injuries?” The doctor had now stepped forward, gently taking Ryan’s arm to lead him elsewhere.

“I think I may have received a mild concussion, and my wrist is really—”

“Hey, Ryan?”

Ryan stopped walking, holding his good hand up as if to pause his conversation with the doctor. “Yeah?”

“Do you want my number?”

“Your what?”

“My number,” he repeated. The way he said it was slightly different than usual. Usually, he was teasing Ryan, the hint of a smile gracing his features.

Yet this time… everything about him was completely serious.

“What for?” Ryan asked dumbly. As soon as the words left his mouth, he instantly felt like slapping himself. Despite that though, Shane was not fazed.

He shrugged. “In case you need any help. Need to get out of a sticky situation. I’m a resource with many perks.” Shane winked, and Ryan instantly felt the familiarity flood back.

Smiling, he nodded. “I’m sure you are.” Making his way back over to Shane, he handed him his phone, open to a new contact preset.

“Oh, and in case you thought I forgot…” Shane murmured, still concentrating on Ryan’s phone screen, “Tomorrow, 8:30 pm, and Shepherd’s Bridge.”

Ryan blinked. Being handed back his phone, he finally remembered what Shane was talking about as he pocketed his device.

“Make that 7:30.”

This time, Shane was the one to look confused. “Aren’t you injured? Are you in any sort of condition to be… pursuing these types of people?”

“You’re right. Make that 7 pm.”

“Say, Ryan?”

“Yeah, Shane?”

“How did you find your way out?”

“A ghost showed me the way. I think it used to be part of ONI.”

“ONI?”

“That’s what the organization is called.”

“... Don’t be ridiculous. Ghosts aren’t real.”

“Yeah. And I just stayed in that basement for _hours_ for fun.”

And with that, Ryan swivelled on his heel, chatting with the doctor as if he had never fallen unconscious in a secret basement for all of eight hours.

 

* * *

 

Shane was truly a sight for sore eyes.

He had finally arrived to the scene just as Ryan was finishing bugging the bridge area. Ryan himself had arrived hours before the planned meeting time, giving himself enough leeway to not worry about having the area being watched beforehand. Well... that was a worry that was always present, working with an organization like ONI, but Ryan just hoped on his lucky stars (as he had been doing the entire case) that ONI wasn’t going to be that ridiculously thorough. As well as being recorded back in the office, the mics that had been set up were also connected to a hearing device Ryan kept in his ear.

Though Ryan had been cautious picking his outfit — knowing full well that at least one of the parties arriving that day had an idea of what he looked like — Ryan honestly did not recognize Shane at all when he first walked up to him. It was only his height that managed to give his identity away.

“ _Wow_ , you look so different,” Ryan gaped. He touched his own beanie that he was wearing, absently worrying that it wasn’t enough.

“It looks like I’m more experienced with this than you are, huh?” Shane teased him. Offering Ryan the other coffee he was holding, they went over to sit at a bench that was a ways away from the bridge.

Shane was dressed in a way that was not only inconspicuous but also androgynous. A long fall coat cloaked most of his body and a scarf wrapped around most of his face. The hat he had on also assisted in covering his features, as did the round sunglasses perched on his nose.

“You’re late though,” Ryan pointed out. “It’s already almost that they’re due for the scheduled meeting.”

“I’m well aware.”

And speak of the devil. Just as Shane finished speaking, a car drove up near to where they had situate themselves. Someone in a business suit got out of the vehicle, heading directly for the area underneath the bridge.

“Don’t stare directly at them,” Ryan muttered, shifting to get the best view he could in the growing darkness.

“Follow your own advice, idiot.”

“Do you think the other guy will get here on time?”

“Stop muttering… it’s so suspicious.... But yeah, they’ll definitely get there on time.”

Only when Ryan turned his head to look at Shane again did he realize how close he was. He had evidently scooted over to be more audible to his companion, but it came as a shock to him in the way his heart thudded so suddenly. Taken aback, he grasped at the fabric on his pants, trying to get a grip.

“Do you think they’ll still make the deal with us here?” _Dammit…_ his breath was shaky. _What the hell had come over him?_ “Are we far away enough?”

“I think so,” Shane hummed.

Ryan glanced back up to his friend again. Was Shane tired? His gaze wouldn’t meet with Ryan’s, and he kept on biting his lip. _Nervous tick?_ Was his intuition premonitioning something bad occuring?

Ryan felt more restless than ever.

“Oh shit. The other person is already here.”

Too much was buzzing through Ryan’s head. The case itself, whether or not they could be found out where they were, Shane’s presence beside him, what the deal was going to be about, Shane’s every movement…

 _Fuck_.

He’d only known Shane Madej for _two goddamn days._

What a hopeless fool he had become.

“Do you think it kind of looks like we’re on a date?” Shane murmured under his breath. Ryan almost jumped out of his skin.

“Like- like we _what_?”

The two parties underneath the bridge were beginning to speak now, but Ryan was too distracted to be able to completely comprehend what was going on.

“I was just thinking of a good enough alibi.”

“Stop fucking around.”

“I’m serious!”

“Not funny, Shane.”

“I’ve never been more serious in my life.”

Ryan stubbornly stared at the meeting instead, listening in to their conversation. At least the signals from the hidden mics were also being sent and recorded at the office, because apparently Ryan was incapable of digesting a lick of what they were saying.

This and that about missing persons, a sour money scam, and the importance of the deal they were trying to agree upon there. If anything, the entire conference itself was a lot of periodic and intimidating silences.

It was during one of those silences that Ryan finally realized that not one but both of the negotiators were staring right back at Ryan. His heart leaped, pouding against his ribcage as if it were trying to escape.

 _God_ , he was so bad at this.

Before too much of the realization could be processed, Shane tugged Ryan towards him, forcefully making him face his way.

Ryan gulped. His head was spinning again.

Their lips were only a breath apart.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Ryan willed himself to calm down. It was extremely difficult, especially considering the fact that everything around him screamed Shane. Everything from his scent to his nose brushing against his own to his breath prickling Ryan’s skin. Peeking his eyes open, he stared down at his mouth as if to confirm that he wasn’t just imagining everything.

“You really think I was lying?” His voice was all but a grumble, low and sweet.

“There’s only so much I can take from you before I need to act,” Ryan retorted, a grin taking over his face. He could just as damn well take on any challenge Shane was presenting him. The chatter from his ear was nothing but background noise at this point.

“Then act.”

Ryan would’ve. _Really…_ he would’ve done at least something.

Except he never got the chance to.

Because next thing he remembered was a black bag being thrown over his head and his arms restrained.

 

“ _The snitching target has been acquired. Now, let us continue with the deal.”_

 

* * *

 

 

The car trip was a long one.

 

Ryan sat almost completely still the entire way there.

 

He had to stay calm. He _had_ to. The bag that had been placed and fastened over his head made breathing slightly difficulty, and he couldn’t afford to panic in that situation.

The handcuffs placed around his wrists were also a pain in the ass. Thankfully, his sprained wrist had been well wrapped before coming to the meeting, but the metal digging into his skin didn’t really help its healing either way. Plus, they were uncomfortable in any position he shifted to. His back was already sore enough from his fall the day before.

Ryan had tried calling out to Shane once or twice during the ride to no avail. Either he wasn’t present, wasn’t conscious, or Ryan was being outright ignored.

Some selfish part of Ryan hoped it was anything but the last.

 _That was stupid,_ Ryan scolded himself. Just because he almost kissed someone he actually felt something for despite knowing them for so little time gave him no right to place the attention he was getting over Shane’s well being. If anything, Ryan should be worried if Shane was even _okay_ or not.

Ryan was such a fool.

A fool in many aspects, but a fool nonetheless.

And he had waltzed right into that devil’s playground without a care in the world.

Ryan desperately did not want to blame Shane, but what if he did have some fault in the situation? He knew next to nothing about his new ‘friend’’s life.

Why had Ryan been so gullible? So naive?

The car finally stopped, and Ryan was ushered out.

Nothing in his future was clear, and he feared to think of what was to come.

Arriving inside of some building at last, the bag over his head was ripped off. The light around him was blinding. He tried to blink it off as quickly as he could.

“What do you want from me?” Ryan immediately insisted. His arms ached from being held back so long. Two guard-like men were standing on his either side. “Why are you doing this?”

“ _My, my, my._ ” A voice just across the room spoke up, smooth as butter and sly as a fox. “Quite the little spy you’ve caught for yourself, Tinsley.”

Out from the shadows stepped none other than Shane Madej.

_So he had been present during the entire car ride._

He had been ignoring Ryan’s pleads.

Something plummeted in Ryan’s stomach.

“We couldn’t let a sharp-eared little agent leaking all of our little details,” the voice continued. The host of the voice was finally turning around, giving way to a well-aged face with a gentlemanly but sinister expression. “After all, we’ve managed to stay underground for so long, no?”

“What are you going to do to me?” Ryan was shaking. His voice was shaking, weaker than he hoped. Frustration was building up in his chest, threatening to overflow with agony and rage.

“I suppose we’ll have to think of a good enough way to dispose of you. Tinsley… any last words to your _dear little friend?_ ”

Ryan pointedly glared at Shane as he approached. Shane had already shed half of his disguise, but there was no point in doing so: it was as if he had donned another mask, face perfectly blank and void of emotion. The concept of betrayal was still filtering through his head, shattering the hopeful feelings he had developed only about an hour before.

Instead of approaching him head on, Shane waved the guards away, moving behind Ryan to inspect his handcuffs.

“These pack quite a punch… especially when your wrist is sprained,” Shane observed, trailing a finger over the bandages poking out from under Ryan’s sleeve. Ryan flinched.

 _“I fucking trusted you,”_ Ryan growled. He squeezed his palms, willing himself to stay silent. Shane grabbed one of his fists, cupping it with both his hands and trying to ease it to relaxation.

“You trusted _me_ . In an ONI-run bar. _Me_ , the son of the current leader of ONI.”

Ryan’s eyes widened. His neck strained in his effort to stare at Shane dead on, searching in his gaze for what his intentions were.

Shane moved closer to him again, his lips almost brushing against Ryan’s ear as he whispered.

“ _Only the fool would know how to play the fool._ ”

Stepping back, Shane let his voice rise back to its normal volume as he continued: “You were so vulnerable back then, in the bar. You should count it lucky that I was the one who picked you up… not anyone else.”

“As if you will show this young man anymore mercy than you did with the others,” the superior voice across the room spoke again, his simper clearly evident in his tone. “You did well in finding him so easily.”

“It was my pleasure.” Shane bowed slightly in respect to his superior.

Ryan’s wrists hurt like a bitch. His entire arms ached, yet he willed himself to power through.

There was no way he wasn’t getting out of this alive.

“Well, that was exciting, wasn’t it?” The superior beamed, pacing closer to Ryan. “But the most exciting part of the day is yet to come! Any last words, my boy?”

“I believe I do have some.”

_Almost there…_

“Ah, is that so?”

_Almost…_

“Yeah.” Ryan smirked. “And your ass won’t be alive long enough to hear them.”

 

 _Click_.

 

Everything happened in an instant.

 

First, his handcuffs fell to the floor with a clatter.

Next, he was able to bring one of the guards beside to the floor with a roundhouse kick to the back of the knees. With that same momentum, he leapt to his feet again and knocked the gun out of the other guard’s hands, throwing him down on the ground on top of the first guard. Only one of them passed out, but the other soon became unconscious with a clean hit to the back of the head.

Grabbing his open handcuffs, Ryan made a start towards the superior, stopping as soon as he saw the gun pointed towards him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shane escaping through the front door.

“You think you’re so smart, don’t you?” the superior cackled, cocking the gun. Ryan was suddenly hyper-aware of his surroundings. “You think you can just walk in here and walk right back out, don’t you?”

“I didn’t walk in here.” _Ryan had to tread carefully._ Though he did his best to keep his eyes on the superior themselves, he couldn’t help but glance at the barrel of the gun every few seconds. “But what makes you think you’ll walk out?”

“You won’t make it out of here alive.”

“Oh yes I will."

“And how can you be so sure of that when death is staring at you in the face?”

“Because I have someone waiting for me to walk out, and you better know damn well I won’t disappoint.”

“Like you have a chance against me.”

“A chance?” Ryan scoffed. _He had to keep the superior distracted._ He was almost close enough. “I have more than that.”

“You can’t fool me with pretty words like _‘backup’_.”

“Then what if I said they’ve already caught up?”

The superior faltered once. “Impossible,” he sneered. “ _Impossible_.”

“The deal was also bugged to the office. They can understand what it means when the _‘snitching target has been acquired’._ They can monitor my location through my phone.”

The superior faltered twice. “ _No…_ that’s impossible.”

“You still think so?” Adrenaline was pumping throughout his body. Ryan could do _anything_.

“I know so.”

“Well then, you better start believing in miracles.”

In one swift movement, Ryan lunged forward, knocking the gun in the superior’s hand away. He could hear it go off, but he hoped his luck wouldn’t fail him now as he heard the bullet ricochet across the room.

One of the handcuffs clicked around the superior’s wrist.

The other handcuff clicked around a decorative beam that stood by the wall.

 

“Checkmate.”

  
  


“Hey big guy.”

Shane turned around. The strange emotionless mask he had been wearing before finally cracked as he rushed over to greet Ryan.

“You made it out in one piece,” Shane joked. He reached out to him, settling for grabbing for his arm to pull him closer. Ryan was holding his bad wrist, ignoring how it throbbed despite finally being free.

“All thanks to you,” he smiled.

Opening his fist, a small key sat on the palm of Ryan’s hand.

_The key to the handcuffs that Shane had slipped him while he was speaking._

“I’m glad you figured it all out in the end,” Shane said. “If you didn’t come back out, I probably would’ve killed you myself.”

“I’d probably already be dead, in that case,” Ryan laughed.

“Then I would strangle your half-dead body.”

“So…”

“So?”

“Where are you going from here?”

Ryan was glad that Shane hadn’t betrayed him. _Elated_ , in fact. However, happiness was evidently not meant to last long, as he had to remember the situation Shane had been placed in.

Shane was a part of ONI. He was born into it.

And an important part of ONI was currently being arrested behind them as they spoke.

“Where do you want me to go?” Shane’s voice dipped, opening a new sense of vulnerability between them.

“I want you to stay,” Ryan answered honestly. He stuffed the key back in his pocket. “But they’ll take you too, won’t they?”

Shane was smirking. He was obviously hiding something from him.

“Spit it out already,” Ryan grumbled.

“I have the right to remain silent, officer.”

“You’re a dick, you know that?”

“I was offered a double-agent position in your office.”

Ryan stopped moving.

“... What?”

“They weeded it out of me last night. Instead of doing anything, they offered me the position, seeing that I know a lot about ONI and other relating organizations.”

“So…?”

“So _what_?”

“So did you accept the position?”

Shane opened his mouth, hesitating. Suddenly, he pressed his lips shut, unable to contain the joy that was flooding into his features. Staring down at his shoes, he nodded.

“Holy shit.” Ryan was trembling with excitement. _“Holy shit._ ”

“I know, right?”

“I’m alive, you’re not bad, and we’re going to be coworkers?”

“Partners in crime.”

“I can’t wait”

Both stood there together, stewing in their own happiness. It was incredible, the amount of relief that could wash over them. Though there was still so much work ahead of them, somehow surviving this first prelude made them unstoppable.

They were a force to be reckoned with, meshing together as the perfect team.

“Oh yeah… Shane?”

“Hm?”

“I never got the chance to do this earlier.”

Before Shane had the opportunity to respond, Ryan stepped forward, bringing a hand to his companion’s cheek as he found his lips, brushing his own against them. The surge of bravery began to recede as Ryan drifted back to his usual stance, dizzy with the feeling of lips and the meaning he had put behind the kiss.

Just as Ryan was beginning to fall back on his heels, Shane wrapped an arm around his waist, tugging him closer again for seconds. Ryan couldn’t help but laugh, content with simply the affection behind his actions.

“Glad we could get that straightened out,” Shane proclaimed. They had moulded together in a hug, and Shane had nestled his head on Ryan’s shoulder.

“Uh huh. Straightened. Sure, Tinsley. If that’s even your real name.”

“It’s a nickname they gave me! C. C. Tinsley was one of my favourite childhood book characters.”

“That’s adorable, oh my god.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“Oh, but since you grew up with ONI, can you tell me what’s up with that ghost?”

“Ghosts don’t exist, Ryan.”

“Shane, I’m being serious! I’m talking about the one that helped me out of the basement of-”

“Sorry to break it to you, but ghosts aren’t real. As hot as you are, you might be a bit of an idiot.”

“How do those have anything to do with each other?”

“I must say though… you were hot explaining your fancy detective science—”

“You mean physics?”

“—To me when we first met, but that line you pulled back there? With my superior? I’ve never fallen harder.”

“You’re such a big dork.”

“You know, though… you did keep on giving me mixed signals… overall, I mean. It was _hard_ for me to figure out what you wanted.”

“So you _were_ just flirting with me from the get go.”

“And? Is there anything wrong with that?”

“Nope. I just seem to be the fool in more ways than one.”

He nuzzled Shane’s chest, seeking comfort in the warmth he offered. Shane’s arms tightened slightly around him.

 

“Once and always the fool.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> o o p s i said fool more than i thought i was going to haha
> 
> edit: lmao now since the authors have been revealed u can find me on my tumblrs!  
> → [buzzfeed unsovled/worth it blog](http://unsolvedbs.tumblr.com/)  
> → [writing blog (for fic updates)](http://celestialberries.tumblr.com)  
> → [main blog](http://universalsatan.tumblr.com)


End file.
